The Sharpest Edge
by wordslinger
Summary: He'd been charged with protecting the Princess's life at all costs but he never could've guessed the looming threat would come storming from the shadows of his past. Samurai/princess AU. Jerza. Complete. **Edited and reposted.
1. Chapter 1

_**Note: Two years later and this story is finally getting the edit it deserves! I've added some new scenes and culled a few I've never been particularly fond of. Please forgive any historical inaccuracies. I've done my best to research the Edo Period but I'm positive some things managed to fall through the cracks even on a second run. New chapters will be posted as they are completed.**_

 _ **Thank you to my long suffering and patient beta readers, BellaFlan and JackieOkCorral!**_

* * *

"My granddaughter is..." the emperor trailed off and sighed. He clasped his arthritis-gnarled hands behind his back before going on. "She's quite strong willed. I hope she won't be too much trouble for you on the road."

"I assure you there will be no trouble, Your Majesty." The samurai bowed deeply with one hand on the hilt of his sword.

The emperor turned from the window and stared at him. "You've come highly recommended to me and I'm trusting you with her life. She may not be of my blood, but she is beloved by me all the same."

"I understand."

"Threats against her life are something I take seriously. When the danger has passed, my grandson shall personally send for you to bring her home."

"Of course," Jellal said stiffly. He was eager to be on the road. Snow clouds gathered on the horizon and the heart of winter drew near. "Have the preparations for travel been made?"

"They have." The small man fumbled with his next words. "I'm afraid she's displeased with the current situation."

"The rudimentary accommodations of road travel would be enough to offend any lady of the court."

The emperor laughed and Jellal struggled to keep his expression smooth. "I think you'll find Erza to be less concerned with hardship and more offended I believe she needs a samurai guard at all." The old man's smile faded and he shook his head. "She's been trained in formal swordplay because I am a weak man and cannot tell her no. I would like to think she hasn't the skill or mind for vicious battle, but in my heart I know I am wrong. Even so, Samurai, she needs you."

"Her safety is my number one priority, Your Majesty."

"Good, good." The emperor pulled a cord and an attendant opened the great doors to the chamber. "Laxus will send word under his lightning dragon seal when the city is safe for her return."

Jellal bowed once more and left the emperor behind. The princess might have trunks of belongings but he did not. Even with its heated pools and panels of flooring, the palace was still quite cold. He knew his outer quilted robes would only suffice for so long before they'd need to be replaced with something thicker. Once they were free of the royal city and closer to the mountain, he'd procure warmer things. Many years had passed since Jellal had made a habit of becoming attached to possessions, save his sword and his horse.

The last blooms of the sakura trees that lined the palace courtyards clung to their webs of branches stubbornly. Soon they'd fall to the earth and be buried beneath the snow. The royal city was lovely and lively – but Jellal had no eyes for it. His first impression of the princess was the sound of her commanding voice. She chastised a stable worker for mishandling one of her trunks and offered to load it herself. Jellal peered around the corner and saw horror etched onto the face of a young boy. The very idea of the princess loading her own trunks was clearly _abominable_. There was only room for two on the back of the small, nondescript caravan and Erza supervised the strapping closely.

She was indeed just as beautiful as rumors purported – perhaps even more so. Her scarlet hair was styled into a knot suitable for travel, and she wore thick robes similar to his to stave off the oncoming cold. Once her belongings were properly loaded, Erza dismissed the boys and swept along the side of the cart to the horse waiting in front. Jellal watched, intrigued, as she pressed her cheek to the smooth expanse between its eyes. She whispered words to the creature he couldn't hear, but her intimacy with the animal impressed him.

He took several deep breaths before rounding the corner and approaching her. She gave him only a cursory glance when he bowed just as deeply for her as he had for the emperor.

"Princess," he said quietly.

"Are you the one my grandfather has sent to escort me to my prison?"

"His Majesty is deeply concerned for your life, Princess. I will keep you safe until the danger has passed."

"Assassins do not scare me." Finally she folded her hands and hid them in her wide, quilted sleeves. "Shall I simply call you _Samurai_ or do you have a name?"

"It wouldn't be appropriate for a princess to address one such as myself by name. Samurai will do." The princess pursed her lips in frustration and he understood this to mean she had many words sliding down the back of her throat. "We should depart as quickly as possible."

She nodded and pulled open the hatch leading to the interior of the carriage. Before crawling inside, Erza scanned the stable and then moved her gaze upward the pointed eaves and carved balustrades of her home. Like the stubborn sakura blossoms, these, too, would be covered in snow before long. Jellal thought maybe she swiped at a tear, but he wasn't sure. She turned sharply and disappeared inside.

* * *

The landscape beyond the borders of the royal city was harsh but beautiful. Damp moss clung to sharp-edged boulders, and the dry leaves autumn left behind were now plastered to the hard ground waiting to be frozen. Mountain peaks glowing with frigid mist rose in the distance, but it was the lower formations of rock at the foot that were their intended destination. Jellal didn't think they'd reach them for several days – more if the snow continued to pile. The Emperor had made it clear that public inns were out of the question, but the royal family had in its possession a network of cottages that had been used for evacuations in the past. Jellal was to stick to the cottages or pitch the basic tents strapped to the sides of the cart.

The moon was high in the sky by the time they rolled through a small village and reached the first cottage, just beyond its outskirts. Crushed ground cover whispered beneath his boots when he slid from the bench of the cart. Jellal's eyes swept over the towering trees and clusters of flora that would remain even in the dead of winter. Tufts of hakonechloa poked from between the trees and the crushed leaves scattered over the forest floor. The world was silent but for the sound of Erza's horse chuffing a cloud of breath into the cold. He circled the cottage once before swinging the door open with his hand already closed around the hilt of his sword. Wood framed and small, the structure would serve only as a space for sleeping. There was a small bath in an adjoining room, but they would not be staying long enough for him to make it suitable for the princess's use.

The pile of wood near the hearth was dry and would last until morning if tended properly. Jellal coaxed a fire from kindling and carefully stacked the logs. Once he'd readied the cottage, he returned to the cart.

To her credit, Erza never once complained or demanded to know their location. He wondered if she'd slept or indulged in the sadness he'd had a glimpse of before they left the palace, but she was unreadable and impassive when he opened the hatch. She clutched his hand tightly as he helped her from the back of the cart, releasing him immediately once her feet were on the ground.

"Should I tend to the horse, Samurai?" She asked quietly from behind him as he moved to unhitch the animal from the cart. "I don't mind. He's been mine since I was a child."

Jellal turned to her and couldn't stop himself from thinking her even more beautiful, surrounded by snow in the moonlight. "No, Princess. I swear to you I will handle him with kindness. You should go inside and rest. Tomorrow will be another long ride. I've already prepared the fire."

She eyed him for a moment before nodding and leaving him alone outside. Jellal led the horse to the shelter beside the house and checked for fresh hay and water. His own horse would've given him trouble for the crude shelter but Erza's horse was of much better temper. He accepted the blankets without so much as a nudge.

By the time he re-entered the cottage, Jellal's face was flushed with cold. The princess sat on a pillow, dragging a comb through the long, crimson hair he'd admired earlier. For a moment he was entranced with the way the black teeth of the comb sliced through the strands that glowed in the firelight. Her robe fell over her shoulder and left an expanse of pale skin exposed. She hadn't noticed his presence, and Jellal hated to break the silence, but he knew staring at her from the shadows was deeply inappropriate.

He cleared his throat and shrugged the damp sections of his armor and robe off his body. "Your horse is sheltered for the night, Princess."

"Thank you," Erza said softly. She pulled the edge of her robe back over her shoulder and set aside the comb. "When will we depart in the morning?"

"At dawn." Jellal knelt in front of the fire and pulled his katana from its sheath. The blade shone in the low light and he could see the sharpening pattern clearly. He hadn't used the sword since the last time he'd run a stone over it but his training necessitated the inspection. Without a warrior's code and rigid morals he was simply another soldier with a weapon.

"I have heard of your kind only in story."

Jellal chuckled lightly. "My kind?"

"Bushido," Erza said without fanfare. "Righteous, courageous, benevolent, respectful, sincere, honorable, loyal, and in control of one's self. Is that not how it goes?"

"It is."

"Of course Grandfather would choose one such as you to whisk me away to the mountains." Her tone was petulant but laced with resignation.

"My code prevents me from disobedience and dishonorable behavior, if that's what you mean." Jellal slid the sword back into its home and placed it on the edge of his bedroll.

"Does seducing a princess qualify as dishonorable?"

He set his mouth into a hard line. "Soldiers do not seduce, Princess. They pillage."

"And the samurai?"

"We do neither."

"I see."

"You should rest now, Princess. Tomorrow we cover twice as much ground as today." Much to his relief, she simply nodded and slid beneath her blankets.

The princess needed to know nothing, other than the assurance he'd never entertain the thought of exploring what lay beneath the seams of her robes. The one time he'd allowed himself to become entangled with a woman had ended with his heart carved from his chest and his head an empty shell.


	2. Chapter 2

As the elevation grew steeper, footing became more difficult and the balance of the cart increasingly precarious. The road had been decently maintained at some point, but Jellal guessed many years had passed since then. Trees still towered above them but in less of a uniform pattern. The mountain stood solidly in front of them, and the trees angled upward, blocking out most of the morning and afternoon sun. It wasn't until sunset that Jellal noticed the rays of light creeping up behind them. The air cooled quickly, though, and choked out any warmth that might've been.

Erza's face was pale when he opened the hatch after their second day of travel. She swayed on her feet and for a moment he thought she might vomit. He granted her the dignity of a private recovery and left her clutching the side of the cart, pressing her palm to her cheek.

This cottage was much like the other except the roof tiles were darker and the hearth was bigger. Jellal thought nothing of it and prepared a fire. By the time he returned to the princess's side, she'd stabled her own horse. Though she'd lost the pasty grey sheen of motion sickness, her face remained pale. Erza allowed him to usher her into the cottage just as the sun disappeared into the trees. The air grew colder instantly.

"Was it a mistake to bring the horse?" Erza asked in the dim light of the cottage. She didn't remove her travel robe as she did the night before. Instead she brought her blankets around her shoulders and inched toward the fire.

"I think the bigger mistake was the cart. It's possible the emperor remembers this trail and the structures that line it from a time when they weren't in such disrepair."

Erza's lips turned up in a small grin. "He's often very sweet on nostalgia."

"Unless a storm front moves in, I think we should arrive at the safe house in two more days at most." Jellal inspected his blade in the firelight. There wasn't much else to see besides the princess herself, and he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, as she still looked quite unwell.

* * *

The next morning Erza hesitated before crawling back inside the cart. She clutched at her robes and shuffled her feet.

"Princess?" he asked touching her elbow.

"I'm weary of this transport," she said with a grimace.

"I apologize for your discomfort, but it is necessary for your safety." Jellal watched as her fingers curled and uncurled in the quilting of her robes. She finally nodded. Once she was inside Jellal climbed to his perch.

The path curved into a gentle slope that eased them up the side of the mountain and he was grateful for the change, however brief. Beyond the tips of the trees, clear blue sky filled his eyes. Jellal knew clouds lurked beyond the narrow view but he hoped their pace would quicken before more snow fell. The sun winked in and out between the trees and Erza's horse chuffed softly. The puff of warm air dissipated as Jellal focused on the sounds of the forest and listened for the village situated at the mouth of the next fork. After the chill of the previous night, his clothes were no longer suitable. They'd need to stop off in a village. Before taking on the princess, the concept had seemed reasonable. Now, he wished he'd handled this bit of personal business beforehand.

The scent of cooking meat and rice hung in the late morning air as they passed a row of food vendors on the edge of town. He briefly considered leaving Erza in the belly of the cart before venturing into the village for purchases, but decided he'd rather not sleep with one eye open, cautious of her rage. Jellal paid a young boy for a stall near the rear of a busy inn. When he pulled open the hatch, Erza had hidden her hair in a plain scarf. She glared at him as if she'd guessed he'd contemplated leaving her behind. Jellal cleared his throat and offered her a hand.

"Why have we stopped?" she asked, straightening her robes.

"I have no suitable winter clothing," he said quietly, securing the hatch and glancing over the cart's accouterments. "I think the snow will fall tonight and not stop. We need blankets."

Erza's eyes flit to her horse – happily munching on fresh hay. "Do you think it's safe to leave the cart?"

"No," he said firmly. "But it's also not safe to be unprepared when the sun won't thaw our bodies during the day."

The village sprawled farther than Jellal had anticipated, and crept up the side of the mountain. A small body of water flowed through the center and back down to the rice paddy fields below. Red posts lined the main thoroughfare. The daimyo's residence loomed on the highest elevation in the village. Its walls were of dark stone and the roof was tiled in charcoal black. Moss sprawled over the stone possessively and crowded around every window. The small castle served as a reminder that they needed to get in and back out of town as quickly as possible.

Merchants were never hard to find. Despite Erza's obvious delight with the village, Jellal took her elbow and ducked into a small shop. The vendor spoke quickly and was more than happy to sell him a thick winter kimono and kamishimo. Unwilling to leave the princess alone for even a moment, Jellal opted out of verifying the fit of his clothes and allowed the merchant to simply wrap the purchases.

"This village is lovely," Erza said quietly as they made their way along the river path back to the inn.

"It isn't safe." Jellal's eyes were still roving from shadow to corner to doorway to window.

"Would it be so bad if we stayed here for a day instead of trekking up the mountain?"

"Yes." Jellal squinted at the space between two buildings. He thought for a split second he saw a flicker of movement, but as they passed he realized the alley was empty save a lazy cat licking its paws clean of a kill.

Erza's only response was to sigh. She said nothing more until they reached the cart. Even then she only had words for her horse. Jellal stuffed his purchases under the bench of the cart and hitched the horse as quickly as possible. Even though the flickering shadows had proved to be no threat, his skin prickled with unease. He wanted nothing more than the village to be left behind them.

* * *

Even after mid-day when the shadows began to lengthen and the clouds crept closer, Jellal's anxiety hadn't lessened. This new section of the path was rockier and he had to pull the horse into a slower gait to preserve the wooden wheels of the cart. Branches hung low here and the snow no longer melted during the day. A chill settled in his bones.

When a cluster of frozen leaves dragged over his head and across the roof of the cart, something inside of him opened its eyes and snapped to attention. His hand closed around the hilt of his katana, and he was ready when the cart swayed under the weight of a body dropping onto the back of it from above. In a swift series of motions, Jellal brought the horse to a halt and leapt from the bench.

A figure wrapped in black crouched on the stack of Erza's trunks. Despite a mask covering the face, Jellal could sense a grin behind it. The assailant produced a set of glittering shuriken and flung them in his direction. Even though the movement appeared to be careless, the skill was apparent. This attacker could pose a problem.

Two more figures appeared from behind the trees and impeded his ability to defend the cart. Jellal could've easily dispatched the assassins if he didn't have the added responsibility of the princess. He tried to keep one eye on the interloper near the cart while still deflecting the attacks of the others. Another flash of metal flew past him. A sharp blade sliced through the meat of his bicep. Jellal's jaw tightened in pain. Before he could retaliate, an explosion and crash drew his attention. The horse whinnied in panic and stomped his feet. The exposed wall of the upended cart was in flames and the princess was struggling. A realization dawned in his mind. Their choice of weapons, their clothing, the explosives... these were ronin. His rage compounded.

Jellal's thoughts converged into a single path of determination, and the cold warrior that lived inside of him took over. His sword easily pierced the unarmored thigh of one of his opponents, and he couldn't stop his slow grin when arterial blood spilled steaming into the snow. The other figure's chest began to rise and fall quicker than before. As they glanced back at the attempts to seize Erza, the samurai struck again.

When both bodies lay twitching and bleeding out into the no longer pristine snow, Jellal's sword came to a halt, pointing the way to the first ronin's neck.

"You'll not touch her while my blade is trained on you. I know what you are, and you dishonor yourself." Erza snatched her wrist back from the loosened grasp to stumble out and away from the cart as the ronin held their empty palms up. The ghost of a chuckle whispered in the space between Jellal and the shrouded body. His skin began to crawl beneath his armor and an alarming sense of familiarity choked him. "Show me your face before I end your life."

"Not quite," a feminine voice that stung him deep in his chest replied. The ronin disappeared into the trees above her without another word.

Jellal's hand trembled and he sheathed his sword before gathering his senses. The woman's voice was horribly similar to someone he'd known once. His mind was a jumble of unmatchable halves. There was no time to piece together what had happened, though. He needed to get the princess to a safer location. Erza was doing her best to console the anxiety-ridden horse.

"I'm afraid the cart is inoperable. We'll have to load what we can on the horse and walk. This path is no longer safe. We'll be cutting through the forest for the rest of our journey." Jellal fell to his knee and clenched his fists. "Forgive me, Princess."

"Rise, Samurai. There is nothing to forgive." Her hands were hidden in her sleeves and she smiled at him. "I am alive, well, and owe my life to you."

"This is my duty, Princess. You owe me nothing."

Erza assisted in rolling most of her belongings up in blankets to be packed onto the horse and Jellal made quick work of the tents still strapped to the undamaged side of the cart. In a moment of clear thought he remembered to pull his new clothes from the ruined bench. Perhaps the town had been a mistake, but he'd need every one of the parcels now. Jellal didn't like leaving the burned out remains, but there was nothing to be done.

* * *

The injury on his arm did not occur to him again until long after the sun disappeared. His bicep ached and he knew he'd have to clean and bandage it himself. It was a frustrating blow when he realized the bolts of canvas were too mangled and burned to be of use. The princess insisted on helping him gather a decent amount of branches and winter flora for a hide. She watched with fascination as he formed a shelter while ignoring the screams of his bleeding arm. The open mouth of the hide did afford for a fire the tent never would have. Jellal counted that as a blessing when the snow he'd been mentally warding off all day finally began to fall.

The princess curled into a corner of the makeshift cave and watched as he boiled snow in a kettle before prying the layers of armor and ruined tunic off to reveal a congealed slice of skin and blood. He dressed the wound as well as possible, but his fingers fumbled the bandage when he attempted to wrap it around his arm.

"You'll damage yourself further if you wrap this poorly," the princess murmured crawling the few feet across the ground to him. "I've been given basic training for lacerations." Her hands pried the bandages from his fingers, and she slowly began the wrapping. "Grandfather wouldn't allow me swordplay training until I could bandage a wound."

Jellal nodded and moved his arm about tentatively when she finished. The cut still caused him pain, but the princess's tending was sound. He used the remainder of the boiled kettle water to clean the blood from his ripped tunic and draped it over his pack to dry – even though he didn't think he'd ever use it again.

The princess lay next to him under the blankets they shared for warmth. He sat up once to inspect the fire, and when he stretched back out on his uninjured side she peered up at him with wide, fearful eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Whatever for?"

"I never took the threats against my life seriously until today. Perhaps if I'd been more vigilant or compliant..." The princess trailed off and a few tears escaped her eyes. Against his better judgment, Jellal brushed them away with a swipe of his fingers. His hand came to rest on the side of her neck as he continued to stroke her cheek dry of sadness.

"This cannot be for you to solve on your own, princess. There isn't a thing you could've done differently to prevent what happened."

"But –" Jellal stopped her words with a press of his thumb against her bottom lip.

"Not even the Emperor doubts your tenacity. The individuals we encountered today will likely not give up, and they are utterly without boundaries or principle. Whoever is behind this attempt will be rooted out by your brother. Not even I will concern myself with it."

"Are you not curious?" she asked, her lip brushing against his thumb. He watched with disgraceful fascination at the way her mouth moved.

"Curiosity does not overshadow my duty to keep you safe and out of harm's way until the threat has been resolved. There is nothing more important to me than preserving your life."

"Even at the expense of your own?" Her eyes strayed to the bandage around his bicep.

"I give you my word that I will not leave you alone in this world until the prince comes for you."

"And what will you do then?"

"Return to my daimyo and await further orders."

"What if –"

Jellal pressed his thumb into the swell of her lip again. "Sleep, princess. Tomorrow we push for the safe house and without the cart it will not be an easy journey."

Before succumbing to sleep himself, Jellal rearranged the fire once more. For a few moments he stared into the flames and pondered the female ronin. Now that he'd put some space between himself and the heat of battle, he realized the voice he heard from behind the mask was that of a total stranger. Any other considerations were ludicrous.

When he settled back into the mound of blankets, the princess gravitated toward him and he allowed himself the small pleasure of her breaths fanning across his chest. Damn the sensation straight to hell, but he enjoyed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Jellal kept the body of the horse between himself and the princess. He'd woken that morning to find his fingers tangled in her hair and her face pressed under his chin. It was one thing to employ basic survival techniques to survive a night under a makeshift shelter but quite another to allow himself such a lapse in self-control. She was his _charge_ and the _Emperor's granddaughter_. Not a woman available for seeking pleasures of the flesh – not that he'd consider such a thing even if Erza weren't a princess. He'd been down that road to disastrous ends. An afternoon of guiding the horse through snow that now blanketed everything provided a perfect opportunity to regain some sense of austerity. The princess visibly disliked the distance he forced between them, but voiced nothing.

Following the snowfall overnight, the sky appeared to be clear of clouds once again. If they kept a steady pace the safe house might be reached by sunset. He recognized that their speed was hampered by the lack of proper trail and foot travel, but the bold appearance of the ronin made him leery of roads. Once they were well into late morning, Jellal was immensely grateful for his warmer clothes. The snow dampened the hem of his hakama and kimono, but the chill didn't quite soak all the way through.

Erza didn't speak to him during their brief stop for a mid-day meal. She kept to her side of the horse and only spoke softly to the animal when his back was turned. Jellal deeply regretted allowing any kind of intimacy with the princess, but the way she'd gazed up at him with tear-filled eyes and pouting lips while apologizing for things she had no control over... his grip tightened on the hilt of his sword in frustration. Personal feelings beyond a firm foundation of right, wrong, duty, and honor only muddied the waters. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by such things. Not when his sole purpose was to keep her alive. The distraction could be lethal.

Early evening brought a brief break in the trees. Jellal took in the sky. Clouds dotted the far horizon, but he didn't think there'd be more snow for several days – not unless a storm lurked on the opposite side of the mountain and out of his view. The sun inched downward and the air temperature dropped quickly. He felt Erza's eyes on him but shut her out. The prospect of spending another night in close quarters flipped his stomach over sloppily. He wasn't sure of the exact location of the safe house since they'd deviated from the trail, but he knew they weren't too far off. Another line of trees hid the sky. The forest ended abruptly at a high stone wall. Erza's breaths of relief puffed into the cold night air as she leaned into the horse for comfort.

Jellal led them around the curve of the wall until they reached an equally high gate painted green with black fittings. He touched the wood of the door and stepped back to determine a way inside. The emperor had told him the caretakers of the safe house were expecting them but nothing more. A single watchtower stood on the far side of the gate at the top of the wall. The stone was old but not crumbling. Perched on the edge of one pointed eave was a gyrfalcon, its feathers mostly white and dotted with flecks of brown. The falcon glared down at them before spreading its wings and taking flight beyond the wall and out of view. A high-pitched shriek echoed piercingly off the walls and mountainside.

"Are we to knock?" Erza asked softly.

Jellal pursed his lips. Before he could reply, the sounds of creaking joints and hinges interrupted. The left door opened a few inches and an elderly man peeked out. He ushered them both inside quickly and pulled the heavy crossbar back down and into place.

Jellal's first impression of the safe house was surprise at such a well kempt property. After the rundown cottages, he'd expected something a little more wild.

The main building was a wood-framed home with a pointed roof that sat right against the mountain and expanded into the rock. High stone walls circled around the property and molded perfectly into the mountain rock. Even from the outside, Jellal could see they would be solid enough to defend any blunt force attack. However, he also knew a skilled ronin would simply scale the wall and enter as they pleased. He would be allowed no room for respite even within the courtyard and house. On the very peak of the house a pair of gyrfalcons kept watch. They disappeared between the upper tiers and Jellal tore his eyes away.

A woman with slate grey hair met them at the front walk and offered to take the horse. Erza bid the animal farewell and clutched her rolls of clothing and belongings close to her chest. The stable was small and could only house maybe four horses, though the accommodations were better than they'd been on the road. On the far east corner of the courtyard, a meager waterfall flowed from the mountain into a pool Jellal suspected led to the underground hot spring that served as a bathing pool. The hot spring itself could be accessed inside the house, but the undoubtedly frigid waterfall caught his eye.

The elderly man led them into the main house and bowed before dismissing himself. Erza left her shoes on a mat and padded further into the house. The front room was nearly empty save seating, a smaller area meant for eating, and hearth in the center. On the far wall there were three bedrooms set apart from the rest by sliding doors. Erza glanced back at him over her shoulder.

"I require a bath, Samurai." He paused his inspection of the house and turned to her. She did not smile but nodded toward the bedrooms. "Do you need to inspect every area or am I dismissed?"

"It is _you_ who dismisses _me_ for these purposes, Princess. There are no entrances or exits on the back wall of this structure. I understand there is a hot spring and bath just that way." He pointed down a short hallway. Erza nodded and slid open the door to her new quarters. "I'll wait in the front room while you bathe."

Her frown deepened. "Must I be guarded even here?"

Jellal simply bowed and positioned himself near the door that led back into the courtyard. He heard the princess sigh and slide her door shut behind her.

* * *

Jellal refused the evening meal provided by the caretaker and his wife, but Erza visibly enjoyed the hot food. He stood by soundlessly as she thanked them for their efforts despite humble protests. The house was dark except for a few lanterns and he kept his gaze slightly to the left of her face when she spoke to him again.

"Goodnight, Samurai. Thank you for seeing me safely here."

"You owe me no thanks, Princess." Even with a diverted gaze he could see her flinch in the face of his formality. When she slid the door to her private room shut Jellal's shoulders slumped. He needed to cleanse his mind. The princess would be vulnerable as long as he remained distracted by the softness of her hair and the plump swell of her lip against his thumb.

The courtyard was dark and illuminated only by the beams of moonlight peeking from behind the clouds that had gathered after sunset. Jellal approached the waterfall and pool with steadfast determination. He crouched beside it and brushed his hand over the brown husks of reeds. Water rippled around the stalks. With a resolute clench of his jaw, Jellal stripped off his armor and underclothes. His katana was left on top of the carefully folded pile of clothing and from the pocket of his pants he pulled a strip of white cloth he kept on him at all times. Jellal tied the band around his head and whispered a long ago memorized liturgy.

The headband and his fundoshi did nothing to protect his skin from the frigid spray of the waterfall, but that was the point of the misogi. He felt detached and misaligned. His spirit needed to be free of the temptations that called to him in the form of the princess. Her offense to the space he'd forced between them gave the impression she'd welcome not only skinship but also a bond he could not allow. Besides the violation of his duty, Jellal knew himself to be beneath her in every way. His heart would never be completely whole, and he couldn't trust it to lead him soundly. The princess did not deserve to have the cobbled-together mess of a soul he kept locked away inside of him. He would protect her life, but he could not return the longing that he avoided in her gaze. He was a soldier and nothing more.

Jellal stepped from the pool and the chilled air bit at his skin. As quickly as possible, he pulled the tunic and pants over his body and carried his armor and sword against his chest. The house lay silent, though the lanterns still glowed softly from their hooks. He pulled the door shut and when he turned to face the main room Erza eyed him from the shadows just beyond the threshold of her private room. She pursed her lips and slid her door closed. He hadn't meant for her to catch him performing the misogi, but the damage was done.

For the first time in days Jellal felt the comfort of a mattress against his back and a pillow beneath his head. The blankets were warm and the sting of winter had been left on the other side of the walls. Despite the creature comforts, Jellal still felt the unease in his chest acutely. Perhaps he'd been too late, and the princess had already found her way inside.

* * *

The list of available activities for the princess to entertain herself with was short. She spent a good deal of time with her horse and seeing him properly handled. The caretakers objected at first but eventually understood she found some degree of comfort in the grooming process. Jellal stationed himself outside of the small stable and kept his eye on the top perimeter of the walls.

"What did you do before this, Samurai?" she asked from inside the stall.

"In between assignments, I stay under the direct command of my daimyo."

Her soft laugh warmed him. "I meant before you were a samurai."

"I have been a soldier since I was old enough to wield a sword properly. It is all I have ever done."

"I see." She was silent for several moments and he strained to hear the bristles running over the body of the horse. "Is that why you will not share your name with me? You do not identify as anything other than your rank or division?"

"Is my name so important to you, Princess?"

"It is." She said nothing beyond that, and Jellal felt the same ineluctable tugging as he had the night he'd touched her face in the tent. Would there really be so much harm in sharing his name with her? Or did the harm lie in wondering at all? Perhaps it was considering the question that was the weakness and not the answer itself.

"Jellal," he said quietly before he could decide otherwise.

"That's a beautiful name," the princess replied with a sigh. _"Jellal."_

His eyes slid closed and he grasped wildly at any train of thought that did not have to do with how much he enjoyed hearing his name fall from her lips. His concentration shattered when he felt her at his elbow.

"Have you finished in the stable, Princess?" he asked with a voice that rasped dangerously.

"I have. Might I indulge in one more question, Jellal?" In the face of all reason he nodded. "What was _her_ name?"

His heart stopped beating for a moment and his hand clenched around the hilt of his sword. It was a habit he'd developed as a young man trying to control his temper and tongue.

"Whose name?" he asked, despite knowing the answer already.

"The one who barred your gates and left you this way. What was her name?"

Lying would be more dishonorable than letting her get to him in the first place. He'd already started down the path of destruction; what were a few more steps?

"Ultear," he said, glancing at her quickly before leading the way back to the house.


	4. Chapter 4

A fortnight passed and the winter storm returned with a vengeance. Snow continued to pile. Jellal knew the forest outside of the walls would be more treacherous now than it had been when he and the princess made their journey up the mountain. This knowledge didn't comfort him. The ronin _would_ strike again, winter storm or not.

Jellal had given up on the thought of attempting a second misogi. He couldn't stomach the thought of tainting the ritual with his stubbornly ruptured focus, so instead he clung to the things that made him feel stable. He'd memorized every inch of the stone wall that surrounded the safe house and its courtyard, but he still kept vigilant watch. Every day, and sometimes late into the night and early morning, he watched. Sometimes his thoughts strayed to the princess and he questioned himself mercilessly. Perhaps he was wrong! Perhaps the princess simply lusted after him and he'd only _imagined_ seeing the tenderness in the way she smiled. The core of him knew that to be untrue, though.

Jellal stood at the precipice of surrender every day he spent with her and he could feel the wind of the coming freefall calling to him. When they were alone, her endless questions slowly transformed into a merging of personal space. Nights when the fire burned low, she sat close enough that her robes pressed into his side and the citrus scent of her hair invaded his senses. Erza loved books, and though the selection in the row of cases was limited, she browsed through them all the same.

"Do you not read, Jellal?" she asked from beside him.

"I've read many books, Princess." He glanced over at her and smiled. "Though probably of a very different genre than what you're reading now."

"Let me guess," Erza said, inching closer into his side. "War manuals and weapons maintenance? Perhaps chivalry and other care of horses?"

"And what is wrong with all that?"

"Nothing," she said, glancing back down at the pages of her novel. "It's just very specific."

"My duties are very specific."

"And what of reading for entertainment? What raises your eyebrows and piques your imagination?"

"I admit I don't read much for entertainment. When I find myself presented with free time, I like to spend it on horseback."

"Do you have your own mount, then?"

"I do."

"A brutish warhorse?"

Jellal laughed. "No, Princess, my lady is much too old to be ridden off into battle. She lives a sheltered life and is probably pining for me as we speak."

"Oh? A lady, is it?" she teased with a gentle nudge. "I'm not sure how she'd feel about you revealing her age so callously, Samurai. That isn't very respectful of you."

"I will beg her forgiveness when I return home, though I doubt she'll hear it. Age isn't something she concerns herself with, Princess. I have a feeling she will want to gallop with the spirit of Fujin until her lungs fill with breath for the last time."

"She is a vivacious animal, then?"

"Yes. I acquired her from a disgruntled farmer who hadn't the skill to earn her trust."

"Was that a lengthy process?"

"Lengthy _and_ painful... for _me_. I've lost count of how many times she's thrown me." Erza's eyes went wide. "I still wouldn't venture to say she belongs to me, rather, she tolerates me more than anyone else and enjoys her grooming."

"You clearly care for her well being," she said softly.

"I do. Is it so obvious? Perhaps it's materialistic to have such concerns for a horse."

"Horses are creatures with emotions and beating hearts, Jellal. They aren't material possessions." She tilted her head to the side and her hair fell over his shoulder. He couldn't stop himself from touching a red strand. Her fingers traced the characters on the pages of her book. "I admit I'm jealous."

"Jealous? You have an enviable mount of your own just outside, Princess." She gazed up at him and caught him with her hair between his fingers.

"I don't desire your horse, Jellal. Only the affection in your voice when you speak of her." Erza's words were bold, and struck another crack in the wall he fruitlessly tried to keep between them.

"You shouldn't want broken things, Princess," he whispered, still touching her hair.

"Tell me why you hold yourself in such low regard. It pains me to see your flagellations." She canted her body toward him and brought her fingers to the V of his robe. "I would not speak of it again if I didn't feel the heat from your eyes as often as I do. Why do you hold back? The samurai are not a celibate sect, and many have wives."

Jellal released her hair and angled his face to the fire. Her persistence would be the end of his control – not that he had much left. He could still feel the silk of her hair between his fingers.

"Perhaps there is something about me –"

"No," he interrupted and turned back around. "No, Princess. There is nothing about you that is imperfect in any way. It is me who is unworthy. I'm not... whole."

Erza touched his arm. "Forgive me for spying, Jellal, but I have seen all of you in the moonlight, and you are not in pieces."

"My body may be intact but other parts of me are not." He didn't stop her when she crawled over him and settled on his thighs.

"I have never not been capable of making my own decisions, Jellal. If you truly do not want me, then push me away and I'll pester you no further."

Jellal's palms itched. He wanted to touch her and close what remained of the gap between them, but his nagging sense of better judgment held him back. Erza's lips curled into a grin at his inaction. She leaned forward to brush her lips against the shell of his ear.

"Push me away, Samurai. That's all I'm asking you to do."

Something inside of him crumbled and his hands clutched at her hips. He brought her fully against him, and when she pulled away from his cheek Jellal took her lips in a kiss. Erza's fingers traced along his neck and she returned his kisses with an urgency that stirred a fire low in his belly. Though her body was covered in layers of kimono she still burned him with her heat.

"Erza," he murmured experimentally. Her name sounded unfamiliar in his mouth, but tasted sweet. She smiled against his lips and kissed him again softly before pulling back.

"You've never said my name before."

"Is it okay that I do?"

"Yes," she breathed before kissing him again. Jellal's hand found itself tangled in her hair once more, and the feel of it still intoxicated him all on its own.

* * *

The onsen had a flow of fresh water that had been cultivated and cordoned off from the rest of the hot spring that lingered in a separate area before meandering into the mountain. Smooth rock lined the edges and floor of the pool. He didn't understand all the intricacies of the onsen but he didn't need to.

Jellal leaned back with a sigh. Every moment of his day was spent at Erza's side and the space between them had collapsed to nearly nothing. As much as he enjoyed the feel of her skin and the taste of her kisses, Jellal knew their time was limited. The fatality of the deepening emotions he felt for her ate at his heart. He could see their end, but couldn't put a stop to the indulgence. She smiled at him and treated him with a gentility that he'd never expected from any woman. He could pretend for a bit longer that he'd be allowed to have her.

For half a second he thought the hand sliding over his chest was part of the fantasy, but her lips against his jaw were definitely real.

"Is this the hour you bathe? When I'm asleep and at my most vulnerable?" she purred into his ear.

"It is also the hour when you are least likely to make a reckless decision like visiting the stable without my escort." Jellal said gruffly, bringing a hand up over her bare arm.

"I suppose that's fair." The princess sighed and settled her body over him. Her knees came to rest on either side of his hips and he couldn't help his reaction to the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest.

Jellal finally opened his eyes and regarded her. "You should be sleeping, Princess."

"Do you truly wish for me to go?" she asked, pressing herself down onto him and creating a delicious friction. Droplets of water fell onto his shoulders as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His eyes strayed to the pile of hair pinned to the top of her head. He pulled the comb from the knot and a cascade of red fell to swirl around them in the pool.

"No," he said quietly. Erza smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. Jellal's fingers slid through the floating strands of her hair and settled on her lower back. Her skin was the softest, smoothest thing he'd ever had the pleasure of touching.

Erza's legs tightened around his waist when his tongue touched her lips. Jellal's fingertips moved from her back to her thigh and she gasped when he grazed the place between her legs that burned even hotter than the spring. The symphony of sounds that fell from the princess's mouth sparked his darkest delight. Her lips parted and a breath rushed out. Jellal hid his grin in the skin beneath her jaw. He was always careful not to mark her body, but he _wanted_ to.

"Jellal," she muttered as her fingernails dug into his shoulder. He slid two fingers inside and drew circles with his thumb. Erza arched into him and rose out of the water enough for her breasts to come into view. Her teeth dug into her lip and her eyes squeezed shut.

He took the opportunity to kiss the enticing swell of her breasts. Jellal had already discovered the secrets of Erza's pleasure, but chose to rake her across the trembling surface of desire before pushing her over the edge anyway. He knew every inch of her, and could picture perfectly the flushed pink skin he caressed under the water.

With just the right amount of pressure and a twist of his fingers, the tension broke across her face. She pressed her cheek to his. Jellal pulled his hand away and gathered her hair over her shoulder. He planted soft, wet kisses on the bare side of her neck.

"I never tire of the way your heart races when I touch you, Erza," Jellal whispered.

"Perhaps you should never stop touching me." She kissed his cheek and ran her fingertips over the tattoo that marked the side of his face. "I would always have you close."

"Princess –"

"Don't," Erza pressed a finger to his mouth and smiled sadly. "Just take me to bed."

Water droplets slid from her body when she stood and offered him her hand. Erza accepted a towel and allowed him to blot her hair dry. In a bold display of coquetry she left the towel on the floor near the entrance to the baths. He'd have been lured without her nudity, but he certainly appreciated the view. Jellal dropped his own towel once they were safely in her room with the door shut behind them.

Erza stretched out on her futon and held a hand toward him. Her damp hair spread over the pillows and blankets. Jellal marveled at its brilliance as he hovered above her. Erza smiled up at him and reached between them to grasp his erection. Her legs slid over his hips and crossed at the small of his back. He took a possessive kiss as she guided him into her. Erza's skin was still warm from their time in the onsen, and he melted into the heat of it.

Jellal's head fell between her breasts and one hand cupped the soft mound of flesh in his palm. She angled her hips upward and the gasps of pleasure she released into his mouth clawed at his self control. The hand at her breast slid down below her back to grasp her thigh and bring her bent leg into her chest. With all of his remaining stamina he aimed for the spot inside of her that made her thighs quiver and nipples tighten. Jellal followed her climax without delay and exhaled heavily into her neck.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she whispered. Jellal slid off her body and propped himself on one elbow. Even in the low light, she glowed. He traced his fingers over her cheeks, shoulders and the silky skin of her breasts. "Please?"

Jellal leaned down to kiss her softly. "I will stay until sunrise."

Erza pulled him against her and kissed him. Her sadness tasted like the fleeting scent of cherry blossoms in the spring. He knew she felt the same hard edge of their finite time together. Both the pleasure and the pain were part of the bargain they'd agreed to before she ever invaded his space and pressed her lips to his.


	5. Chapter 5

The snow on the roof melted just enough for moisture to drip from the eaves and form icicles at night. Sleeping next to Erza had become the final temptation. In the back of his mind he knew the habit to be dangerous – with her body pressed against him he slept deeper than he had in years.

He should've seen it coming, but his lapse in judgment didn't become fully clear until the dart pierced his skin. The drugs worked quickly. As Jellal fell to his knees and fumbled around on his neck clumsily, he felt the weight of his foolishness finally settle. The first blow came as he still searched his exposed skin for the dart, and the force of it sent him face down onto the floor. His limbs felt heavy and his thoughts slow to form. A foot came down harshly between his shoulder blades.

"You have no idea how comforting it is to know that some weaknesses never change," the female ronin said sweetly. "Does the princess realize that by seducing you she signed her own death warrant? I'm surprised she coaxed you into her bed at all. I thought for sure that damnable code of yours would hold up a _little_ longer."

Jellal's breaths caught in his chest and his jaw twitched mercilessly. _The dart_ , he thought. They'd incapacitated him far too easily. The ronin kicked him over onto his back and crouched beside him. Her glittering black eyes were enough, but she drove the nail home by pulling her mask down.

"Hello, Jellal. It's good to see you again," Ultear said with a smile. "You always did look your best in the morning." She glanced over him. "I have to say I prefer you with less clothing, but we have no time for such fancies. Pity."

Erza's shouts disrupted his thickening stupor. He focused his swimming vision on Ultear's two associates. The princess wore nothing but the bathrobe she'd left on the floor mat the night before and his anger bubbled at the thought of the state in which they'd dragged her from bed. To her credit, the princess appeared to be employing every skill taught to her by royal tutors to escape the solid grasp of the ronin.

"Such a pretty prize." Ultear leaned down to whisper in his ear. "We'll try not to crush her petals too harshly."

He couldn't even muster a growl. Her poison saturated him and his fingers pathetically twitched in an attempt to curl. Her eyes flitted to the sight and she laughed. Quicker than he could process, she unsheathed his katana and drove the blade through his shoulder and into the wood-planked floor below. Jellal wished he could at least feel the pain of it, but was denied even that.

Erza's eyes fell upon him and widened with terror. She opened her mouth to... shout? Scream? He'd never know because with a sharp signal from Ultear, another dart was jabbed into her neck. The princess, being of a smaller size than him, succumbed much quicker.

Ultear leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. "If I hated you, I'd have poisoned your blade instead of my kiss. Goodbye again, Jellal."

Blood pooled around his head and seeped into his hair. The door had been left open and Jellal knew if he didn't bleed to death, the cold would likely kill him by nightfall. _Had she hit an artery?_ Possibly. There was no way to tell. Or perhaps one of Ultear's poisons would be his end. The dart was clearly a tranquilizer, but compounds were a skill she'd mastered very young. The balm on her lips could be any one of the deadly concoctions she liked to carry on her person.

The edges of his consciousness blurred. As Jellal's eyes slid shut, he tried not to think of the way Erza's hair had hung limply over the shoulder of her captor as they'd carried her from the house.

* * *

 _Raven hair brushed his chest as she moved. She grinned down at him in the wolfish way that made his insides curl with uneasy arousal._

 _"_ _I can't do this alone, Jellal," she said softly as her hips fell into a distracting rhythm. "I need you. She hurt me and I need you. You promised." His fingers dug into the flesh of her muscled thighs and he pulled himself up and against her._

 _"_ _You will not be alone. I swear it."_

 _She smiled. "You should've been a samurai with all that honorability. This life doesn't suit you." His words died on his lips as her body drew him into a state of thoughtless pleasure he remembered well... or that he tried to forget. Jellal wasn't sure except that he wanted red hair instead of black and the things he promised Ultear felt dangerous._

 _The sword in his hand was heavy with both familiarity and strangeness. It was summer and the hot dust swirled around his feet. Dirt mixed with blood and he stared at the two boys on the floor. One light. One dark. They'd only been children. Why had he come?_

 _"_ _You'll kill her for me, won't you, Jellal?" Ultear's voice crept into his head like a sweet, cloying mist. Her blade was still red from blood so young it should never have been spilled. Wild, dark eyes smiled at him from across the courtyard. "You promised."_

 _A woman nearly identical to his lover clawed at the hand clenched around her throat. She eyed him with terror and Jellal's head began to spin._

 _"_ _She thought she could replace me! Me! Her own daughter!"_

 _The woman's lips parted in a plea and Jellal could do nothing but stare. She'd lied about so many things. Her mother. The children._ Herself. _As the woman's blood was added to the layer already crusting on Ultear's blade, she fell into the warm dirt._

 _His fingers parted the curtain of glossy red hair in his face, and he couldn't find his own voice to cry out._

* * *

Sunlight burned his eyes and the sting radiating from his shoulder burned everything else. Jellal tried to sit up, but a hand on his uninjured side held him down.

"Not yet, Samurai." The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it. "Can you feel your arm? The physician headed back down the mountain to his village for supplies, so I'm afraid you'll be out of luck if you're in pain."

"The pain is nothing," Jellal bit out. His eyes felt full of sand, but when they finally opened the Lightning Dragon Prince was perched beside him. "Your Majesty –"

"None of that. I'm not emperor _yet_ , Samurai." Jellal reached up to prod the bandage over his shoulder. "My Raijinshu arrived last night. We found the burned-out cart at the mountain base. I assumed the worst."

"The cart should never have been left in such a way, I apologize."

"No need. Just tell me what happened." Laxus stood and drew back the curtain over the window. Sunlight glinted off his golden armor for a brief moment. "I have information on its way to me, but time is still of the essence."

"We were attacked on the journey here. Three ronin tried, and failed, to abduct the princess. We had no choice but to leave the cart behind. I was wrong in my assessment that the snow and ice would keep intruders from breeching the wall without my notice."

"Same group?"

"Not entirely. I killed two of them in the previous attack. There must be a cell nearby."

"Well, you aren't wrong. They didn't breach the walls."

Jellal blinked rapidly. He thought maybe his mind was still addled from the poisons and dreams of the past they brought.

"My grandfather is an old man, Samurai," the prince said softly with a frustrated sigh. "His memory is fleeting. There's a room between the house and the mountain invisible from the front. My great-grandmother bred hunting birds – falcons – the interior of this house is accessible through a hatch in the roof."

"The blame still rests with me."

"I won't hear your apologies or confessions. You couldn't have known about the hatch. The ronin came from above. We found their cables." Laxus leaned over him and clutched the hilt of his sword. "What's more important is what happens now. I received word at the palace of a roving cell. I'm guessing these ronin who took my sister are a part of it."

"My life belongs to your family, Dragon Prince. Give me an order and I'll see it done."

Laxus nodded and pressed a vial into his palm. "This should help. Swallow it down and meet us in the courtyard. We ride in three hours."

* * *

Erza's horse fell into formation with the Raijinshu as if riding with them was perfectly natural. The pain in Jellal's shoulder hadn't disappeared, but remained dim for most of the ride back down the mountain. Once they reached the flatlands, he set his jaw and did his best to ignore it. The Raijinshu rode for three days over the eastern foothills covered in rice paddies, and through the eastern grass fields that dotted the countryside. Every wave of pain, every jolt of Erza's horse's hooves against the ground, reminded him of his fallibility. Once again he'd fallen prey to his untrustworthy heart – only this time the damage wasn't limited to himself.

The Raijinshu traveled with only the barest of necessities. Though Laxus was the crown prince – the line of succession had been ruptured with his father's betrayals but Laxus's loyalty was above reproach – he didn't behave like one when beyond the royal city. He sat on the ground with his unit of four, including Jellal. He ate with them and slept with them and rode with them. They shared a kind of familial bond Jellal had never experienced. Samurai were soldiers, but self-contained in their belief system.

"According to my sources this group is rot from within our own ranks," Laxus said over a small campfire. "They're native to our country but have been paid handsomely for their treason. Our enemies gather and my sister fell into the crosshairs."

Jellal didn't think it a stretch for Ultear to entangle herself with political rebels, but didn't believe she cared about the cause. She enjoyed playing the part of mercenary more than anyone should, and a prize like the princess would've been quite lucrative. He wondered whether she'd known he was Erza's bodyguard before attacking them in the woods. Such knowledge would've only sharpened her savagery.

Empty fields eventually gave way to a forest that maintained its lush greenery even in winter. The trees were different here and grew thicker. Jellal didn't consider himself a superstitious man, but these particular shadows felt sinister and almost sentient. Laxus brought the party to a halt and nodded at his second in command. Without comment the other man turned to the only woman in the group and tossed her a small bag from his saddle pack. She slid from her mount and disappeared into the trees. The Lightning Dragon Prince looked over at Jellal and eyed his shoulder.

"I have one more vial from the mountain physician but I suspect you'll want to save it for when we move in." Jellal's eyes scanned the trees. "Evergreen is getting us an exact location. We believe this is just a temporary holding camp. Those who paid for my sister's abduction won't lower themselves to appear here. They'll be dealt with at court."

"Court is far too lenient a locale," General Justine murmured under his breath. His horse stamped its feet over the broken clumps of snow in the grass.

A laugh echoed off the nearby trees. Jellal frowned. He didn't care for Bickslow's cavalier attitude. The man was not only a bit of a drunk, but unkempt, and had a wild air about him. Most often his hood hung down over his eyes, but there was something about his grin that set Jellal's hair on end.

"If we're lucky Erza has already gotten her hands on a weapon and slaughtered the lot of them. A fitting end, I think," Bickslow barked.

" _Princess_ Erza isn't capable of such base violence," the General interrupted sharply.

"You only say that because _you've_ never been on the business end of one of her blades, Justine –"

 _"_ _Quiet,"_ Laxus ordered. "Both of you. Evergreen approaches."

The woman hid a spyglass in her cloak and mounted her horse before reporting to the prince. "We should leave the horses just beyond the tree line and walk from there. The princess is being held in the center structure."

"How many?" General Justine asked.

"Less than ten. There are several empty tents and I don't believe this is the entire cell."

The members of the Raijinshu watched Laxus for a signal. He finally tore his eyes from the trees and turned to them all. "Evergreen, you take the camp from the north. Bickslow and the General will flank from the sides and the samurai and I will pull Erza out."

"What are the rules, boss?" Bickslow leaned casually over the horn of his saddle as if they'd done this a thousand times before.

General Justine visibly bristled. "You will address the _prince_ –"

"None," Laxus interjected as he reached into his saddlebag. He tossed Jellal the second vial of pain medication. "Burn it down. Erza is all that matters."


	6. Chapter 6

The smaller tents radiated from the center, like spokes on a wheel but less uniform. Their placement was intended to prevent any direct path from outside to the main tent. Sleeping quarters had been shuffled between small armories and supply stores. The effect was confusing, but Laxus's vial of medication sharpened his mind to a fine point. Jellal didn't count how many times he swung his sword but Evergreen's scouting had proved invaluable. There were less than ten members of the cell within the camp.

The prince's armor allowed him a level of recklessness Jellal did not have, medication or not. His hakama would protect his legs but the rest of his clothing coverings did not fit well over the bandages and he'd lacked the range of motion to don armor like Laxus and the men of the Raijinshu. Even his kimono felt wrong.

Laxus took the vanguard and cleared a path for him to enter the tent Evergreen identified as Erza's. The moment he stepped through the flaps, two shuriken gored the doorpost only inches from his face. How unlike Ultear to miss. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he grinned ferociously.

There were signs of an obvious struggle, and it appeared that Erza had only just lost the upper hand. Ultear glared at him and shoved Erza aside. She stood and snatched a blade from the wreckage of an overturned table. Lamp oil glistened in the low light and the tent reeked of spilled wax and burning parchment.

"I should've killed you, Jellal. You continue to be a problem." The princess lunged once more, but Ultear caught her hair and hit her hard on the back of her head with the hilt of her sword. Erza fell to the ground in an unconscious heap and Jellal's blood began to boil.

" _N_ _ot_ killing me is the thing you regret? Out of all the chaos and death you've caused, this is what grieves you?" Jellal let the door flaps fall shut behind him and stepped toward Ultear, who stood over Erza's body. "What kind of lunacy is that?"

"The word you're looking for is _ambition_."

"Ambition requires a cohesive goal," he countered.

 _"I had a goal, Jellal!"_ She screamed filling the tent with palpable rage and her face twisted. "You and I, we had a plan. I would've been _happy_ with you, if you hadn't broken your promises!"

"Ultear, your happiness depends on the suffering of others. I can't live that way."

Something inside of her snapped, and her mouth curled into a dangerous grin. "You didn't even try!" she said with a snarl. Ultear's blade clashed into his. Hers was thicker and heavier – not her typical katana. The weight of it pushed him backwards and Ultear took advantage. Her parries and moves focused on forcing him to attack, and his strength waned. The medicine Laxus had given him could no longer mask his fatigue. The ache in his shoulder returned with excruciating force.

She swung upward. Jellal blocked, and with his side exposed she stuck him with a kunai from a concealed pocket on her thigh. Jellal felt it scrape against his ribs. He fell backwards into a post with a strangled gasp. Ultear stared down at him, her eyes angry and wild.

"Why did you break your promise to me?" she demanded with the tip of her sword pointed at his neck. The fingers he pressed into his bleeding side felt wet and sticky.

"I never promised to murder children, Ultear," he said between short breaths.

"Were their lives more important than mine?"

"They were children."

"You told me you loved me once."

"I did, yes. But the price was too high for me to pay." Jellal struggled against the post and attempted to straighten his back and take the pressure off his ribs. "Love isn't leverage, Ultear. It isn't the sharpened edge of a blade you can hold against your beloved."

"Your romance with words and codes is insufferable."

"Bushido saved my soul as much as a soul can be saved. I wonder now if you even know how to step from darkness. Has it consumed you completely?"

Ultear's hand trembled and her mouth became tight. "Darkness hasn't consumed me. It cradles me." Her wrist twitched. The skin of Jellal's neck opened enough for a trickle of blood to roll down, into the bandages of his shoulder. Even though he'd failed, Laxus would still win the day. Any minute, the Raijinshu would storm the tent and Ultear's life would be forfeit. His eyes slid closed and he conjured a memory of Erza's hair curling around his fingers in the bath. So bright. So red. It was all he wanted to remember.

The sound of choking brought him back to the present. Ultear's face crumpled and blood dripped from her lips. Jellal's eyes fell to her torso where a sword had run her through from behind. She coughed once and fell to the side. Jellal almost didn't believe his own eyes when Erza stepped over her body and threw her arms around his neck. The press of her against him was painful and he could hardly breathe. He couldn't even return her embrace.

"Oh!" she exclaimed quietly. "You're bleeding. Have I hurt you?"

"No," he breathed. His fingers found the dirtied strands of her hair and he smiled. "No, you haven't hurt me."

"But you _are_ hurt." Erza peered down at the bleeding spot on his side where Ultear's kunai pierced him.

"Yes."

The princess frowned at his dazed replies and sighed. "You're delirious with blood loss, Samurai. You saved my life."

"And you saved mine, Princess."

"Are we equals, then?" she asked, taking the limp hand off his injured shoulder. Jellal only smiled at her when she kissed his fingers. "Did you come alone?"

"He didn't," a voice said from the doorway. Erza looked beyond Jellal's slumped body to find her brother, The Lightning Dragon Prince, flanked by his Raijinshu.

"Laxus, I knew you'd come." The princess took his offered hand and stood.

"Sir, we need to flee," Evergreen said quietly. "There are surely more ronin, and no doubt the princess has injuries." She nodded at Jellal. "Not to mention the samurai is very much the worse for wear."

The prince pulled Jellal to his feet and held him steady. "Can you walk?"

"He can lean on me," Erza said, and situated herself under his better arm for support. Laxus watched with interest as she led him from the tent and followed Evergreen back to the horses.

* * *

The closest physician was not at all prepared when Bickslow knocked on her door. She eyed the Raijinshu curiously, but stepped aside allowing entry as soon as she saw the dragon emblazoned on Laxus's armor.

Despite protests that she was not harmed, the physician saw to the princess first. Her injuries were only slight and the blood on her skin not her own. She frowned at the hole in Jellal's side and left him alone to gather the supplies to sew him up. Erza knelt beside his cot and brushed the sweaty hair from his forehead.

"I was afraid I'd find you too late," he muttered. His body shivered with blood loss and withdrawals from whatever Laxus had given him for the ride and battle.

"I think her intentions were to kill me when you arrived, though I don't believe that was what she'd been paid to do." Erza's face betrayed nothing when she spoke next. "Was she truly your lover?"

"Yes. Quite a long time ago."

"No explanation is necessary, Jellal. She doesn't matter to me. I am only sorry that she hurt you."

"Princess," he started.

"Have we not shared enough for you to address me by my name beyond my bed?" A tear rolled down her cheek and Jellal strained to brush it away. His thumb left behind a smear of dirt and blood.

"You're safe now. My job is done."

"But –" The physician reappeared and ordered the princess from the room. Stitching up Jellal's side would be an ugly process and it was best if she didn't see it. Erza pressed a stubborn kiss to his lips, and even after he'd taken more than one serving of sake he thought he could still taste her.

When he woke, sweating and stumbling from the cot, he was alone. The Raijinshu had gone. In a way he was glad he hadn't been forced to tell her goodbye. His katana waited for him on a chair. Wrapped around the hilt was the princess's sash, dotted with his blood.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Note: Thank you so much to anyone who took the time to reread this story! Thanks again to my beta readers JackieOkCorral and BellaFlan.**_

* * *

When the samurai returned to the countryside, his daimyo granted him leave to properly recover. A royal mission, such as protecting the body of the princess, earned Jellal a great deal of respect – despite his personal misgivings regarding what he saw as a failure at the safe house.

Once the brutality of winter eased away, he spent his mornings wandering the village on foot and tried to enjoy the quiet predictability of the day. His lady welcomed his return, and always sniffed out the apples in his satchel immediately. Though she'd been cared for in his absence, it was clear only the bare minimum had been allowed. Jellal fell back into a routine with her easily. The repetitive motions of running the brush over her coat helped him regain function of his shoulder. She had a strong sense of how he felt on any given day and only showed her stubbornness when she thought him capable of fielding it. Most of his afternoons and early evenings were spent in her company.

Jellal made a valiant effort not to fixate on the princess, but still hadn't removed her sash from the hilt of his katana. Instead, he considered simply acquiring a new blade. That would be easier than removing the silk. On the nights when he dreamed of her, he woke dazed and breathless. Even though he was tormented with memories he still could not regret falling in love with her – only after months had passed could he admit it was _love_ he felt and not the simple lust he'd tried to convince himself of. She'd trusted him and proven herself trustworthy in return. Not only that, but she'd bared her heart to him, knowing what he had to give was bruised. He doubted he'd love again in this lifetime.

As spring coaxed blooms from the trees, Jellal could feel the gaze of his daimyo. Soon his peace would have to be set aside for duty. His lady sensed his unease and, without command, brought him to the blooming stretches of purple clover bushesthat lined the river. Soon the wild sakura trees would drip pink and white blooms. These trees were tended by no one and had been left to grow into enormous size. The river would eventually rise with melted snow from the mountains and sakura branches would reach for the rushing water, leaving the surface dotted with pink.

Rain came heavy in April and Jellal's shoulder ached. There was nothing for it but the motions of brushing his mare.

"You're not an easy man to find, Samurai."

Jellal didn't startle. He recognized the voice that spoke out of eyesight, disrupting the sound of rain pelting the roof of the barn.

"And that is exactly how I prefer it, Prince." He didn't spare Laxus a glance even when The Lightning Dragon Prince offered his horse a sugar cube. "You should know that treats won't earn you love from my lady. She'll take them from you and offer nothing in return."

"So she is not unlike most women I meet at court."

"I don't imagine she is much more of an agreeable companion than the ladies of your grandfather's court." The horse snorted and nudged Jellal with her flank. Laxus laughed and sat heavily on a tack trunk.

"I'd venture a guess that she isn't much of a gossip. We need more stoicism in the royal city."

Jellal continued to brush the mare without comment.

"I'm here to offer you a position in my Raijinshu, Samurai. Have you any thoughts?"

"No," he replied firmly. Such a rank would have him in the company of an unattainable desire far too often.

"And why not? Your daimyo would never oppose me. No thirst for action rests within you?"

"I've had enough action for a while. My daimyo grows restless, though. I'm sure my leave is nearing its end."

Laxus sighed dramatically and scraped his foot over the dirt on the ground. "I suppose this means my sister will marry General Justine." Jellal's hand froze. "It'll be an awkward affair, of course. He isn't what she wants at all and he's... well. She's not his type either." Laxus barked a laugh. "She lacks the proper equipment, I think."

Jellal stepped around the horse's side and stared at Laxus in shock. The mare nudged his shoulder – she, apparently, wasn't quite through being brushed.

"But –"

"Grandfather will be disappointed, of course. He has this ridiculous notion of babies toddling around the palace. The idea of Freed impregnating Erza..." Laxus laughed again and smiled up at him. "My own bride won't be delivered until next winter."

"What? Forgive me but... _delivered?_ "

"Yes, we've secured a political treaty with a western country. I've been told she has hair the color of the moon. The wait will kill me, I think. Curiosity is a terrible demon."

"As lovely as all that sounds, you'll understand when I decline out of hand."

Laxus blinked and shook his head. "You have a terrible sense of humor, Samurai. For all your bravery and skill with a sword you truly cannot comprehend a joke."

"It wasn't part of my training," Jellal said dryly.

"Come back to the royal city with me. My sister pines for you and I cannot stand the chill of her silence."

Jellal shook his head and went back to brushing his horse. "Such a thing can't possibly be allowed. I am not even a lord here."

"The weight of the kingdom will never fall on Erza's shoulders, Samurai. She may have been adopted into my family and be treated as a royal, but she hasn't the blood to sit the throne. Her children will be allowed a spot in the line of succession once my grandfather passes, but she is free to marry whom she pleases."

"And what of my own desires?"

Laxus appeared beside him and pushed his katana to his chest. The sash fluttered in the breeze. "I think it's clear what you want. Will you come back to the city with me on your own, or shall I have you trussed up and brought in a cart as an unwilling bride?"

* * *

The sun slowly fell beneath the horizon as Jellal stalked through the palace grounds with his quintessential humorless expression. Passing attendants quickly bowed and stepped out of the way. A white ribbon of silk trailed behind him from the hilt of his blade – its presence easily identified him. The story surrounding the princess's marriage and their romance was a popular subject of gossip amongst citizens of the royal city. He'd arrived in mid-spring, and the sakura petals that fluttered from the trees like pink snow guaranteed spring would remain his favorite season even after witnessing a year's worth of changes.

He found the bedchamber empty and left his armor and weapons on the waiting racks. The hot water of the private bath soothed his aches, and Jellal recalled again why he _hated_ breaking in a new horse. His position in the Raijinshu sometimes required travel and his lady was not capable of such rigorous mileage. She'd come with him to the palace and roamed the pastures at her leisure, but did not accompany him on official business. His new mount was a young stallion, and the two of them had differing opinions on who was in charge of whom.

After succumbing to the heat of the water and allowing every joint and muscle in his body to loosen, Jellal rested against the side of the bath. Pity Erza wasn't present but he didn't have the stamina to look for her currently. Bickslow exhausted him with his jokes and the General even more so with his rebukes. Evergreen simply ignored them both and the Prince did the same – even if he did keep a passive finger on the pulse of the back and forth. Between his obnoxiously spirited stallion and the Raijinshu dynamic, Jellal wanted nothing more than a quiet bath.

Despite his want for solitude, he smiled when Erza's fingers feathered through his wet hair. The air stirred with the swirl of silk robes as she knelt beside the edge of the bath.

"You've returned," she said softly.

"I have, and not soon enough. My patience for this trip wore down to threads long before we arrived at the palace."

"Which troubled you more? Bickslow or your horse?"

"Both in equal measure," Jellal said with a dramatic sigh. He rolled his shoulders and grimaced.

"You're in pain."

"Everything hurts when you've been on a horse for days." He smiled up at her and tugged on the ends of her hair that brushed his forehead. "I'll survive."

Erza leaned down kiss his forehead. "Come to bed soon, husband. I'll wait."

Jellal didn't leave her waiting for long. He found her peering through the gap in the window shades that over looked the city. She enjoyed the view at night more than any other time. The expanse of twinkling lights captured a romance invisible during the day. Jellal gathered the mass of her hair and swept it over her shoulder. He pulled back the loose collar of her robe and kissed the side of her neck.

"I hate being away for so long," he murmured into her skin.

"It is better this way. The alternative is not having you here with me at all." Erza turned to him and placed her hands on his chest. "A fortnight is nothing compared to forever."

"I would tolerate these frustrations one-hundred fold just to be with you, Princess."

Erza grinned and bit her lip. "Do you think it's still charming to be addressed that way, Samurai?" Jellal smiled, as well, and touched the pink apple of her cheek with his thumb.

"Perhaps I don't care." He ducked his head to kiss her and she leaned into him. Erza's fingers slid beneath the lapels of his robe and pushed it over his shoulders. Her own robe followed his to a heap on the floor. Jellal backed her up to the edge of their bed and Erza fell gracefully into the mattress. He crawled over her body and wove his fingers into her hair that spread over the white blanket.

"My dreams are red when I'm away from you," Jellal said absently. Erza pushed him onto his back and mounted his hips.

"Perhaps next year you'll be away less? I have an incentive."

"Do you?"

"The gossip mongers will have to stop questioning your virility once the word gets out." Erza pressed his hand to her stomach and the realization slowly dawned on him.

"Erza..."

"I wanted to tell you myself. The wait has been excruciating." Jellal sat up quickly and took her lips in a fierce kiss. "Are you pleased?"

"A child was never necessary for my happiness, Erza." His thumbs brushed her cheeks and he kissed her again softly. "But yes, I am pleased. I never thought –"

"Don't," she whispered. "The past cannot be changed. You once spoke of love and sharpened edges. I think maybe you weren't completely right." Jellal raised an eyebrow. "Love _can_ be used as leverage. Press the edge against your darkness and cut it away."

Jellal wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her back into the mattress. Her hair tumbled over the edge of the bed and brushed the floor. He hovered over her, besieged with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. The universe hadn't always been kind, but he'd been granted possession of Erza's love and that meant everything.

Her legs encircled his waist, tightening as he lowered himself and pushed into her. She didn't speak except in gasps, and Jellal lost himself in her.


End file.
